A grand opening and open house at the new Crofton Fire Hall drew community members out to celebrate on Saturday, May 11. Residents toured the long-awaited facility and paid tribute to one of the department’s most respected figures.
In addition to a ribbon cutting, speeches, live demonstrations and guided tours, the event featured a special dedication of the building’s new training room in memory of Owen Webb, a longtime firefighter and municipal staff member who died in 2022.
Webb served the Cowichan Valley for more than 40 years in various roles, including dispatcher, deputy chief and chief of the Crofton Fire Hall. He worked for the Municipality of North Cowichan for more than 35 years and was known for his close-knit ties with colleagues and fellow volunteers.
Webb's daughter, Tara Duncan, lives in Alberta now so missed the opening. However, she and her siblings were in town for her mother's 75th birthday celebration the following week. Crofton Fire Hall station chief Matt Ludvigson surprised the family by arranging a fire hall visit to see the Owen Webb Memorial Training Room.
"It was so special," said Duncan. "Our dad absolutely loved everything to do with the fire hall. There are four of us kids and our entire lives revolved around when my dad worked as a fireman. It was such a huge part of our lives growing up. It's just an amazing tribute, and we're really touched that Matt and the other firemen thought to do this."
Members of North Cowichan’s Crofton fire hall had been without adequate training space since 2019. The new, state-of-the-art training area is an integral part of the hall and can also double as an emergency operations centre when needed. A fitting tribute to a man who cared so deeply about firefighting.
The $4.8-million fire hall at 1681 Robert St. officially opened in April and replaced the original 1964 building. It now features seismic upgrades, five apparatus bays, dedicated decontamination areas and modern training and meeting spaces to support the department’s 25 volunteer firefighters.
Attendees at Saturday’s event enjoyed refreshments, equipment displays, and the opportunity to connect with the local fire crew. Those touring the hall may have thought they heard a friendly chuckle when passing by the new training room, according to Duncan.
"My dad had a very distinct laugh," she said. "And so when we were there, we were all laughing that you could just hear him, that my dad would have been chuckling and so proud of this honour."
The day marked not only a milestone for Crofton but a celebration of its past, present, and future.
